For the Greater Good
by Stargazer Nataku
Summary: "I know what it's like to want to do anything in your power to save those you care about," she finally said without bluster, turning to face him again. "I'd never blame anyone for actually doing it." "And how do you know that?" he asked aggressively. There was no way this child sitting next to him knew anything about it, N7 or not.


**Title:** For the Greater Good

 **Author:** Stargazer Nataku

 **Rating:** PG

 **Characters:** Alec Ryder, Female Shepard

 **Warnings:** Rating is for a curse or two.

 **Author's Note:** Weird ideas come to me in the shower, just saying. I'm not sure this actually could be canon, but I do like the idea so I'm standing by it. My Shepard, at least, would completely understand why Alec Ryder did what he did. So. Here we are.

 **For the Greater Good**

 _Dishonorable discharge._ Alec Ryder tore the paper in half, knowing the Alliance would have kept plenty of copies to show just how far they thought he had fallen. The reasons listed were fake anyway, made up to keep the Council from discovering the exact and illegal nature of his research. After all he had done for the Alliance, and they would not support him in the _one_ thing that he had ever asked for in return? To hell with them. He had never gone down without a fight and he was not going to stop now, not when everything held in the balance.

Just outside of the facility there was a bar frequented by Alliance soldiers he had often visited in in his younger days before he had started to spend more time off-planet than on. After passing through the outer gate, he made a beeline for it, deciding the need for an immediate stiff drink was far more important than avoiding the Alliance crowd that might be there. Besides, it was only early afternoon; the place would likely be mostly deserted and the few people there would be easy to avoid.

True to his assumption, there was no one seated at the bar and only two tables with anyone at them on the far side by the windows. He took the last space at the bar farthest from them. He returned their brief, curious glances with a glare that spoke volumes about how much he did not want any company. True to the place, they each gave him a passing nod and returned to their conversations. The rules of this particular bar, apparently, had not changed in the many years it had been since he had last frequented it. Thus the only person to engage with him was the bartender. "Strongest you've got," Ryder demanded. "Don't care what it is. But I want it straight."

Alec ignored the sound of footsteps behind him as his drink arrived and felt nothing but irritation when a woman slid into the seat next to him, asking the bartender for her usual. This one either did not know the unspoken rule that those who wanted to be alone were left alone or she did not care. Ryder was in the mood for neither scenario. He didn't spare her a glance, hoping she would take the hint. To his chagrin, she didn't. "Bad day," she commented. He did not particularly care if she was having a bad day, considering his own, so he ignored her and flagged down the bartender for a second drink. "I meant yours, by the way," she added after a moment when he proved disinclined to speak.

Ryder glared at her. She was a small woman, dressed in black track pants and a black hoodie, her reddish-brown hair reaching her chin, her piercing grey eyes studying his lined face as if looking for something. She seemed familiar, but he didn't care to try to figure out why or how. "That's a hell of a pick-up line," Ryder practically growled, "Besides the fact I'm old enough to be your father, I'm spoken for." And would continue to be no matter the cost, he promised himself, hoping this woman got the idea and let him alone.

"No offense, but it wasn't intended to be a pick-up line," she said, turning to him so she could offer her right hand. As she did so he noticed the N7 emblazoned on the hoodie she was wearing. He ignored her hand and turned back to his drink.

"I don't need to hear it," he snarled, turning back to his drink.

"Hear what?"

"How I'm a disgrace to the uniform and don't deserve the uniform."

The woman shook her head and waved off his concern with a flick of her wrist. "I'd never say that."

"No? What the hell makes you so different from everyone else?" The woman turned away briefly to accept a whiskey-neat from the bartender and take a sip.

"I know what it's like to want to do anything in your power to save those you care about," she finally said without bluster, turning to face him again. "I'd never blame anyone for actually doing it."

"And how do you know that?" he asked aggressively. There was no way this _child_ sitting next to him knew anything about it, N7 or not.

"Mindoir," she answered succinctly. That was enough to give him the briefest moment of pause. He had not served there, but he had seen vids from the aftermath of that hell. It hadn't been pretty, and if he was accurately judging her age, she couldn't have been very old at the time. A teenager, perhaps.

"Lost someone?" he asked, wondering what it was about this woman that made him continue to engage her, despite his anger and straightforward desire for solitude.

"Lost everyone."

"Shit."

"Yeah," she agreed. "So. I understand why you're willing to do what you're doing. Saw you, just thought you should know there's at least one of us who thinks that way after what you probably had to listen to today. Can't promise there are others, but…" She shrugged. "As N7s aren't we trained to do things for the right reason, even if others would consider the action itself wrong?"

"For the greater good, yeah." But his reasons were selfish and Alec knew that a good N7 wouldn't act out of selfish motivations. He also knew he did not care. He figured perhaps this woman, this stranger, could understand that.

"And what is a greater good than life?" she asked. "Than helping others to live?"

They sat in silence, the question hanging softly unanswered between them for several brief moments of reflection before he raised his glass. "To those we couldn't save," Ryder said. She raised her own glass.

"To those we still can," she answered, clinking the side of her tumbler against his.

"I'll drink to that," he responded before they both finished their drinks in one quick shot. When she had set her empty glass down on the bar she activated her omni-tool as she slid off the barstool. A moment later, his omni-tool activated showing his account was paid. Ryder started to protest, but she shot him a cocky grin.

"It's on me this time. You can get the next one, once you've done the impossible. Look me up and we'll celebrate, the three of us."

He nodded his agreement, then stood, extending his hand. "Thank you…?"

"Shepard," she answered, shaking his hand with a firm grip.

 _Ah._ "Shepard. Good luck out there."

"You too," she responded, turning away and heading towards the door.


End file.
